User level: Level 1 (4 points)iPad Air (M3)
I was stuck in a boot loop and tried everything I could find online. Finally connected to iTunes and tried to restore. It gets stuck, and won’t work. Will it cost a lot to fix? Can I just trade it in not working. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Posted on Oct 3, 2026 6:40 AM
User level: Level 7 (21,484 points)Oct 3, 2026 7:21 AM in response to Lost-girl
Make an appointment at the nearest Apple location to have your iPad evaluated for free.
Once the diagnostics are complete, the staff will explain your options.
Make a Genius Bar Reservation
Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple
Non-functioning iPads have zero trade-in value, but Apple will recycle such iPads for free.
User level: Level 2 (338 points)Oct 4, 2026 6:50 AM in response to Lost-girl
See, when u r rebooting an iPad, it follows a boot sequence in which only the Secure Enclave chip, a security enforcing chip right beside the main processor (in ur case, M3). When you long press the top power button, it shows a static Apple logo, a rapid relay race “The Secure Boot Chain” takes place. Electricity passes to the Secure Enclave, it verifies the cryptographic signatures for the authentic iPadOS software for the boot up, if it has been modified, even a teeny bit, by any developer, the Secure Boot Chain breaks, and the Secure Enclave refuses to boot up the iPad until Apple verifies it by the cryptographic signature for their specific device model and version.
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256369655